The then 3-year-old girl vanished on Dec. 20, 2021
Tuesday marks one year since disappearance of Lina Khil
SAN ANTONIO – It has been almost four years since Lina Khil disappeared from a playground on the Northwest Side.
Lina’s family is hosting a press conference at 10 a.m. on Monday to share their updates on her disappearance.
KSAT will livestream the press conference in this article. Delays are possible; if there is not a livestream available, check back at a later time.
The then 3-year-old girl was near her apartment complex on Fredericksburg Road, just north of Wurzbach Road, when she vanished on Dec. 20, 2021.
Here’s a timeline of events in this missing case:
Dec. 20, 2021: Lina disappears
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Lina’s family reported her missing at 7:15 p.m. At the time of her disappearance, she was wearing a black jacket, a red dress and black shoes.
Dec. 20, 2022: New video released
- SAPD released a new video on Dec. 20, 2022, that showed Lina at the playground moments before she disappeared. Police said at the time that a resident of the complex had a surveillance camera that captured those moments.
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SAPD Lead Detective Jeremy Volz said at some point during the video, Lina walked off the screen.
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That same day, Lina’s father, Riaz Sardar Khil, told KSAT through translator Lawang Mangal: “They never found a piece of evidence yet, so that’s very strange for me because the United States is a superpower of the world and they have all the resources and technology and everything.”
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The Islamic Center of San Antonio contributed to the search effort by raising a $250,000 reward for information leading to Lina’s safe return.
Feb. 20, 2023: Age progression sketch unveiled
- Eagle’s Flight Advocacy & Outreach created an age progression sketch of Lina. The sketch was released around her 5th birthday.
April 20, 2023: Lina’s father takes polygraph test
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Lina’s father was seen outside the San Antonio FBI office after spending hours inside on April 20, 2023.
- Riaz Khil took a polygraph test to clear his name. A spokesperson for the Khil family told KSAT that the FBI was conducting the polygraph instead of SAPD. It’s unclear what led to that decision.
Feb. 14, 2024: Tip submitted to SAPD was ‘not credible’
- A tip led authorities to a wooded area near Interstate 10 and Wurzbach Road, about a mile from where Lina disappeared.
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Crews used drones and ground-penetrating radar in their search.
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Lina’s father told KSAT that the tip reportedly came from an inmate, which prompted the search.
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Two days after the tip was submitted, SAPD said the tip was “not credible.”
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After the two-day search ended, Lina’s family then called for new investigators to take over the case.
March 2024: Age progression shows Lina at 6 years old
If you have any information about her disappearance, call SAPD’s Missing Persons Unit at 210-207-7660.
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